Warm Up Win Over Ayr United

Rangers 4 Ayr United o

Youth football is back after the festive break and Rangers Under 17’s recorded a win in  a warm up game against Ayr United in preparation for their competitive Glasgow Cup games later in the month. With Rangers lining up in an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation it was the visitors that showed the early promise.

On thirteen minutes  a run along the left hand byline created the chance with Robbie McCrorie saving the resultant shot comfortably. Three minutes later he was called into action again, this time saving bravely at the feet of the striker when Ayr attacked through the right side of the penalty area.

A minute later Robbie McCrorie failed to take a corner from the left cleanly and the Ayr centre-back headed over. The twenty-five minute mark had just passed when Rangers carried a real threat for the first time, Ryan Hardie doing the creative work on the right side of the box before cutting the ball back to Junior Ogen who’s shot was deflected just wide of the keeper’s left hand post.

On the half-hour mark Jordan Hamill rose to challenge the impressive Ayr No.9 for a long ball, both players went down with head knocks, the  observers from the sidelines were then astounded to see the referee issue a straight red card to the Ayr striker for what looked like no more than a clash of heads. As is the norm in development games it meant an enforced substitution rather than a reduction to ten men/ Less than five minutes later Max Ashmore delivered a free kick from the right on to the head of Ryan Hardie but his effort was just the wrong side of the keeper’s right hand post.

Rangers were now on top and when Michael Mossie drove forward before passing to Junior Ogen on the left side of the box the striker’s effort was only just wide of the keeper’s left hand post.Two minutes before the break Rangers took the lead, Junior Ogen passed to Ryan Hardie on the right side of the Ayr United penalty area and the striker’s shot beat the keeper with the aid of a slight deflection.

Half-Time:- Rangers 1 Ayr United 0

Seven minutes after the break Rangers almost doubled their lead in bizarre fashion, when the Ayr keeper took a swipe at a pass back and missed, he was relieved to watch the ball roll just wide of his left hand post. The second goal was delayed until the hour mark, Adam Wilson’s free-kick from close to the halfway line on the right was delivered towards the back post where David Brownlie headed back across goal to present Ryan Hardie with a simple tap in.

The third goal followed for minutes later, when the ball was played up to Kyle Clark at the edge of the box his reverse pass opened up the defence and freed Lewis White to step into the penalty area and shoot past the keeper. The fourth goal came as the game entered the final quarter-hour, Chris McDonald showed great skill to take on two defenders at the edge of the box before slipping a pass to Michael Mossie on his right and he gave the keeper no chance with a low drive into the far corner.

The final chance came with six minutes remaining on the clock, Scot Whiteside’s pass sent Chris McDonald clear on the right, he went past the full-back and progressed along the byline, with team mates in the middle expecting a cutback he tried his luck from a tight angle and a combination of defender and keeper deflected the ball wide.

Full-Time:- Rangers 4 Ayr United 0

Rangers:- Robbie McCrorie; Scot Whiteside, Jordan Hammill, David Brownlie; Michael Mossie, Ross Lyon (Chris McDonald 70mins), Adam Wilson, Max Ashmore (Kyle Clark 57mins), Ross McCrorie (Lewis White 6o mins); Junior Ogen, Ryan Hardie (Jamie Brandon 64mins).